Archive for July, 2009|Monthly archive page
Gibson Antique Pelham Blue ’68 Reissue Les Paul Custom
In Uncategorized on July 2, 2009 at 3:30 amThe past couple of days here at the tone vault have been both interesting and inspiring. I took the time to play an Antique Pelham Blue ’68 Les Paul Custom. I put this guitar to the test comparing it against a variety of high-end guitars (including other new and vintage LP Customs). I enjoyed working with the good folks at the Gibson Custom Shop in developing this wonderful guitar and I have to say I am very pleased with the end result: a beautiful and unique guitar that sounds big and plays like an old friend.
More photos of this Gibson Antique Pelham Blue ’68 Reissue Les Paul Custom
This Pelham Blue 68 is not only one of the most comfortable Les Paul Custom I’ve played out of the box, but also the most inspirational. The guitar I played is fairly lightweight (8.9 lbs), nicely balanced with a “just right” neck. The ebony fingerboard and excellent action allow notes to scream and soar when stretched at high volume, but remain bright and clear, with a unique melodic, lifting voice when played clean.
Unique Features
- Chambering: Unlike the original, this Les Paul Custom is chambered for a fuller tone and midrange push, making chords lush and single note bends sustain with full power and confidence. Along with the great tone, chambering provides the side benefit of incredible weight reduction. These guitars weigh substantially less than other Les Paul Customs. The weight is generally in the neighborhood of 8.8 pounds.
- Finish: I absolutely love the “Antique Pelham Blue” finish. To me, this is as cool as it gets. When you first look at the color it appears to be green, but there is a very cool, very magical aspect of Antique Pelham Blue. It is a rare vintage finish with incredible visual depth, and will change to a beautiful powdery blue as it ages (particularly wear spots) will look like a 40 year old original vintage guitar. How cool is that!!!
- Peg head Pitch: Another great feature of the 68 Pelham Blue LPC is that unlike the original, this guitar has a 17 degree pitch to the peg head instead of 14 degrees. The additional three degrees of pitch gives more energy and truer tone (and it’s all about tone, tone, tone!).
This first video is documenting the first time I plugged and played this guitar. The tone is a little crazy because I am totally overdriving the amp but the guitar was reacting in such a cool way that I just went with it and didn’t roll back the volume. Press play on this video with caution!
Comparison 1 – 5: Here is a much more balanced view of the the Antique Pelham Blue ’68 Reissue Les Paul Custom featuring the talented Carl Tosten comparing the 68 Pelham Blue LPC against my original 1974 Les Paul Custom (20th Anniversary Model). Each of the videos feature a different vibe and tone. Hopefully this illustrates some of what this guitar is capable of and how it compares to a vintage Custom.
Click here for a windows version of this video
Click here for a quicktime version of this video
Comparison #6 and 7: These videos highlight Isaac Carpenter comparing the 68 Pelham Blue LPC against my 2004 (prototype) 59 Les Paul Standard Chambered Reissue. I wanted to listen to the 68 Pelham Blue guitar challenged against one of my personal favorite re-issues (the 2004 (prototype) 59 Les Paul). Here are the results.
The guitars selected for comparison represent the evolution of both the LP Custom and Gibson Les Paul chambered guitars. The evolution and art of chambering continues to inspire musicians by maximizing tonal quality, decreasing weight, and increasing musical possibilities. When the original concept for chambered reissues collided with the unique design of the 68 Pelham Blue Les Paul Custom: Magic! View the videos and decide for yourself.
Simply put, this guitar gives a wide range of players the ability and versatility to create the music he or she loves. Bottom-line: more beauty, purer tone, and increased playing time. Get more out of your musical life!
The Gibson Chambered ‘68 Les Paul Custom in Antique Pelham Blue is available for sale at Private Reserve Guitars By Clicking here;
Gibson Custom Shop 1968 Les Paul Custom Chambered Electric Guitar
Some specs for Gibson Chambered ‘68 Les Paul Custom in
Antique Pelham Blue with a long neck tenon and maple cap serial number 0710368.
• Neck Dimensions 1st fret .895”, 5th fret .943”, 8th fret .983”, 12th fret 1.000”
• Pickup Bridge: Classic 57 DC resistance 7.6K Ohm (in circuit)
• Pickup Neck: Classic 57 DC resistance 7.6K Ohm (in circuit)
• Body Wood: solid one piece Mahogany
• Top wood: Book Matched Maple
• Neck Joint: Set-in Long Tenon
• Neck Wood: one piece Mahogany
• Fretboard: Ebony with real Mother of Pearl inlay
• Frets: 22, at .100” wide and approximately .040” high pre-fret finish
• Nut Width and material: 1-11/16″ Micarta, you can see some Carmex in this image. Available at any drug store. If you bend strings try Carmex in the nut slots. Your strings will not bind in the nut slots. No more pinging!
• Bridge: ABR-1 style Tune-O-Matic
• Stoptail: Nickel Plated Aluminum
• Controls: Volume / Volume / Tone / Tone utilizing four 500K linear taper potentiometers (the reading on the two tone pots were 452K Ohms and 497K Ohms with Bumble Bee capacitors)
• Knobs: Top Hat with Reflector Inserts
• Serial Number Application: Stamped serial number on the back of the peghead
• Control Cavity Cover Plate; Black Molded
• Finish: Nitro Cellulous Lacquer
• Weight: 8.9 pounds
20th Anniversary Gibson Les Paul Custom Photos
Some specs for the 1974 or 1975 Twentieth Anniversary Gibson Les Paul Custom with a medium neck tenon and maple cap No Serial Number.
• Neck Dimensions 1st fret .785”, 5th fret .863”, 8th fret .935”, 12th fret .994”
• Pickup Bridge: Sticker Patent # Humbucker DC resistance 7.6K Ohm (in circuit)
• Pickup Neck: Sticker Patent # Humbucker DC resistance 7.6K Ohm (in circuit)
• Body Wood: Three Piece Mahogany (nickname “sandwich body”)
• Neck Joint: Set-in Medium Tenon
• Neck Wood: Three Piece Mahogany
• Fretboard: Ebony with real Mother of Pearl inlay
• Neck Shape: Thin to Medium C-Shape
• Frets: 22, at .76” wide and approximately .020” high finished
• Nut Width and Material: 1-11/16″ Bone
• Bridge: ABR-1 style, stamped patent number Tune-O-Matic with gold plated brass saddles
• Stoptail: gold plated pot metal
• Controls: Volume / Volume / Tone / Tone utilizing four 500K linear taper potentiometers (the reading on the two tone pots were 452K Ohms and 497K Ohms with Bumble Bee capacitors)
• Knobs: Witch Hat with Gold Inserts
• Tuners: Chrome Replacement Schaller (common in the ‘70s, these Schallers were obviously installed incorrectly first, hence the extra screw hole per tuning maching ) this guitar should have the Kluson Waffle Tuning Machine heads (click here to see) we have collected six Waffle Machine heads but four are bass side and two are treble side. We needn just one treble side Waffle tuning machine to restore this guitar.
• Hardware color: Nickel
• Switch Tip: Black
• Serial Number Application:; No Serial Number!
• Control Cavity Cover Plate; Black Molded
• Finish: Nitro Cellulous Lacquer
• Weight: 9.6 pounds
More photos of Gibson Les Paul Chambered ‘59 Reissue Prototype Guitar
Some specs for the Prototype Gibson ‘59 Chambered Reissue with a long neck tenon and maple cap serial number CR 9-4058. This was the first Chambered Reissue (Originally built. The seemingly later serial number occurred because Gibson Custom did not have a serial number system in place when this prototype was built. For this Chambered Reissue prototype Gibson Custom used the next Historic 1959 Les Paul Reissue serial number available and just added a CR in front of it to signify that this ’59 Reissue was a Chambered variant of Gibson’s Historic Reissue Les Paul Specifications. Gibson then began a separate serial numbering system for the Chambered Reissues that started with CR 9-4001 for the first ’59 Chambered Reissue. Gibson then carefully made sure not to reuse the serial number applied to this prototype. CR 8-4001 began the serial numbers for the ’58 Chambered Reissues and CR 7-4001 for the ’57 Chambered Reissues and so on through the remaining models. It was an honor to work with Gibson Custom Shop craftsman and designers to develop the Chambered Reissue line of guitars. Here are the specs for the prototype;
• Neck Dimensions 1st fret .908”, 5th fret .964”, 8th fret .994”, 12th fret 1.025”
• Pickup Bridge: Burstbucker 2 DC resistance 8.2K Ohm (in circuit)
• Pickup Neck: Burstbucker 1 DC resistance 7.8K Ohm (in circuit)
• Middle switch setting: Connects the bridge pickup and the neck pickup and yields a DC resistance of 3.9K Ohms (in circuit)
• Body Wood: Chambered one piece Mahogany
• Top wood: Book Matched Flamed Maple
• Neck Joint: Set-in Long Tenon
• Neck Wood: one piece Mahogany
• Fretboard: Rosewood with vintage style Trapeziod Inlay
• Frets: 22, at .100” wide and approximately .040” high pre-fret finish
• Nut Width and Material: 1-11/16 inches, Micarta, you can see some Carmex in this image. Here is a can of Carmex. Available at any drug store for $2.95. If you bend strings try Carmex in the nut slots. Your strings will not bind in the nut slots. No more pinging!
• Bridge: ABR-1 style Tune-O-Matic
• Stoptail: Nickel Plated Aluminum
• Controls: Volume / Volume / Tone / Tone utilizing four 500K linear taper potentiometers (the reading on the two tone pots were 454K Ohms and 503K Ohms) with Bumble Bee capacitors
• Knobs: Top Hat Style, Vintage Amber
• Hardware color: Nickel
• Switch Tip: Vintage Amber
• Serial Number Application: inked on back of the peghead with “prototype” under it
• Control Cavity Cover Plate; Black Molded
• Finish: Nitro Cellulous Lacquer
• Weight: 7.03 pounds
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The Gibson Chambered ‘68 Les Paul Custom in Antique PelhamBlue is also available at these dealers;
Gibson Custom Shop 1968 Les Paul Custom Chambered Electric Guitar
Gibson Custom Shop 1968 Les Paul Custom Chambered Electric Guitar
Gibson Custom Shop 1968 Les Paul Custom Chambered Electric Guitar
Gibson Custom Shop 1968 Les Paul Custom Chambered Electric Guitar
Gibson Custom Shop 1968 Les Paul Custom Chambered Electric Guitar
Fender Telecaster “Thin Skin” in Lake Placid Blue SEO4031
In Uncategorized on July 2, 2009 at 3:21 am
Gibson ES-339 Carmel Burst ProtoType Guitar
In Uncategorized on July 2, 2009 at 3:20 am
Read about this New Gibson ES-339 Hollow Body Prototype Guitar in Caramel Burst
John English Fender Custom 50’s Stealth Esquire Relic Guitar JE077
In Uncategorized on July 2, 2009 at 3:19 am
The Fender Stealth Esquire Custom 50 Relic built by John English. If a person combined the best features of a ‘50s Fender Esquire, some cool features from the rare Tavares Model 1967 Maurader/Swinger, and also add the craftsmanship of world renowned luthier John English, what you’d get would be an amazingly novel guitar, both fun to play and performance oriented. The coolest deception: “Only your guitar dealer has to know” (I think that was actually the slogan of an advertisement in the ‘60s). It’s like you (and only you) know the secret and therefore, the edge, making the Fender Stealth Esquire a very cool new secret weapon.
From its outward appearance the Fender Stealth Esquire built by John English looks like an Esquire. However, borrowing a trick from the famous Fender Tavares Model 1967 Maurader/Swinger (see the book by Norm Harris with David Swartz “Norman’s Rare Guitars”), there are two additional special pickups under the pickguard (hence the name “Stealth”). The Fender Stealth Esquire features a 5 way switch that allows the player to switch between the three individual pick ups, and two combination pick-up settings, just like on most Fender Stratocasters today. With this five position switch, a guitarist sitting in the crowd watching and listening to you will be amazed at the variety of tones coming from what appears to be a single pick up Fender Esquire.
This guitar feels and looks great! The attention to detail on this Fender Stealth Esquire is so cool. The back of the neck is worn in perfectly and therefore plays so smooth and fast. The Relic process is totally believeable. Under the black pickguard is the paint can ring/circle just like on most of the original Fender Black Guard Telecasters and Esquires. Look at the photo… this is great to see. The top has the four nail holes (two under the pickguard, one next to the screw hole under the electronics control plate and one under the bridge) like a ’50s Fender Esquires, Nocasters, Broadcaster and/or Tele. And the two tooling holes are on the back of this Esquire! The lacquer blonde finish on the Esquire shows the “halo” effect like many of the ’50s Fender Esquire and Telecasters. The serial number is on the bridge plate like a mid ’50s and prior Tele and Esquire instead of on the neck plate as on later Fender tels and Esquires. This halo effect was not so noticeable when the guitar was new in say 1953 but with a little age the halo shows itself. The halo effect is said to have been cause by the way Fender painted the guitar bodies. Fender used a lazy susan and laid the guitar on its back, put four small nails in the top of the guitar body and then painted the top and sides while slowly turning the lazy susan. Next fender would turn the guitar body over and paint the back and the sides would be painted again as the end grains of the sides needed additional paint. When painting the sides of the body some additional paint would always end up on the top and back right around the edges and this created the halo effect old vintage Fender Esquires and Telecasters are so known for. The neck plate has a English signature for the builder.
All of these small details add up and show the incredibly fine craftsmanship of the late John English! I list even more features below. Though this features list looks similar to what is on other web sites sush as the Fender web site, there is more detail below than anywhere else. I give you neck depth, pickup DC resistance and other information that may be useful. It is interesting to me anyway.
Provided above, are four videos of me checking out this Fender Stealth Esquire. You will have to download Quicktime to view them (if you don’t already have it). In the top video, I am playing the Fender Stealth Esquire through a 1958 Tweed Deluxe (we blew the speaker) through a four twelve Marshall Cab at 8 Ohms. The next three are the Fender Stealth through a favorite 1951 Fender tweed Deluxe (100% stock including metal pre-amp tubes) exploring each of the five pick up settings. We have the videos arranged from top (most distorted) to bottom (clean-est tone).
On all videos I play a passage on the bridge pickup, then push the switch forward to the second position and attempt to play the same passage with the bridge and middle pickup on together. I next push the switch forward to the third position and attempt to play the same passage with just the middle pickup on. I then push the switch forward to the fourth position and attempt to play the same passage with the middle and neck pickup on together. And lastly I push the switch forward once more to the fifth position and attempt to play the same passage with just the neck pick up on. Click HERE to hear a semi-clean tone Fender Stealth Esquire video exploration and then Click HERE to hear a clean-er tone Fender Stealth Esquire video demonstration (all demonstrations venture through all five pick-up positions in the same format discussed previously so you get a feel for the Fender Stealth Esquires tone and versatility).
This is a marvelous guitar.
Some specs;
• Relic
• Weight: 7.4 pounds
• DC Resistance of pickups; Bridge 8.25K Ohms, Middle 8.14K Ohms, Neck 7.8K Ohms
• Neck depth: approximately .905” 1st fret .937” 5th fret, .967” 8th fret .990” 12th fret
• Back of the neck: heavily sanded “smooth”
• Fingerboard: very nice track marks
• Unique Features : Neck and Middle Pickups are Hidden Under the Pickguard
• No. of Frets : 21 Vintage Frets .090” width
• Strings : Fender Super 250R, Nickel Plated Steel,
• Body : Premium Lightweight Ash
• Neck : 1-Piece Maple, ‘54 “U” Shape
• Width at Nut : 1.650″ (42 mm)
• Model Name : Builder Select Esquire Heavy Relic LTD (John English)
• Pickguard : 1-Ply Black (with paint can ring on the bottom side)
• Hardware : Nickel/Chrome
• Pickups: 1 Custom NoCaster® Vintage Tele® Single-Coil (Bridge), 2 Custom Handwound Tele Single-Coil (Neck-Mid) hidden under pickguard. The middle and neck pickups are about the size of a Stratocaster pickup (.629” without cover) and not at all the size of a Tele neck pickup (.566” with metal cover).
• Scale Length : 25.5″ (648 mm)
• Introduced : 1/2006
• Series : Custom Shop Limited Edition Series
• Controls : Volume, Tone both in parallel with each pickup or pickup combination
• Color: (487) Vintage Blonde,
• Accessories : Deluxe Limited Edition Black Hardshell Case (Black Interior), Strap, Cable, Limited Edition Certificate
• Machine Heads : Fender/Gotoh Vintage Style Tuning Machines
• Fingerboard : Maple, 7.25″ Radius (184mm)
• Case : Deluxe Limited Edition Black Hardshell Case with Black Crushed Velvet Interior and Embroidered Limited Edition Logo
• Serial number found on bridge plate instead of neck plate (similar to Fender specs pre 1955)
• “English” engraved on neck plate COOL!!!
• Non-phillips head vintage style (straight-slot) screws
• Model Number : 927-5000-487
At present, this amazing guitar is on loan to me as a courtesy from www.guitarsale.com and will soon be returned to www.guitarsale.com. This particular guitar is the heaviest Fender Stealth Esquire built by John English, that www.guitarsale.com has in stock. Check out all of the John English Fender Stealth Esquires that GuitarSale has in stock by clicking HERE.
Check out all 5 John English Fender Stealth Esquires guitarsale.com has in stock by clicking the individual links below. Enjoy!
Fender Builder Select Stealth Esquire Heavy Relic LTD by John English Serial No. je095
Fender Builder Select Stealth Esquire Heavy Relic LTD by John English Serial No. je066
Fender Builder Select Stealth Esquire Heavy Relic LTD by John English Serial No. je078
Fender Builder Select Stealth Esquire Heavy Relic LTD by John English Serial No. je014
Fender Builder Select Stealth Esquire Heavy Relic LTD by John English Serial No. je053
Barry Clark at guitarsale is an expert on these Stealth Esquires. Call Barry (barryc@guitarsale.com) at 800-343-9795 for an on hand description of any of these wonderful Fender Stealth Esquires.
Guitarsale contact info
Outside the U.S. 574-251-3500
Fax 574-251-3346
Hours: M-F 8-9, Sat 9-5, Sun 12-6 EST
Retail Showroom hours: Mon. thru Fri. 10:00 to 7:00, Sat. 9:00 to 5:00 EST(GMT -5:00)
Mail GuitarSale
4004 Technology Drive
South Bend, IN 46628
USA
“Fender Esquire” = the beginning “Fender Stealth Esquire” = the evolution
Note of interest;
Is the Fender Esquire a single pickup version of the Fender Telecaster? Or is the Fender Telecaster a double pickup version of the Fender Esquire?
Let’s examine the truth!
In the beginning God said; Let there be Music, and asked Leo to create the Esquire… or something like that. Anyway, “Esquire” was the first name that appeared on both the single pickup and double pickup models of what would become commonly known to the world as the Telecaster body shape. Most people think of the Fender Esquire as a single pickup version of the Fender Telecaster, but in the beginning it just wasn’t so! In the beginning and before any Broadcaster, NoCaster or Telecaster… Leo Fender built possibly (plus or minus) 60 Fender Esquires, including both single pickup and “DOUBLE” pickup versions branded as Esquires. It is believed that many of these first 60 Fender Esquires were built without a truss rod to reinforce the neck, and therefore around 1950 Fender recalled these “no truss rod” Esquire necks. They were to replace these with new necks that featured truss rods for reinforcement. This was a good thing, but the replacement necks may have not had Esquire on the peghead. These necks were possibly branded Broadcaster, No-Caster, or Telecaster. This is just a theory and may be the reason that the original Fender Esquire guitars are so extremely rare. In all of my years of going to guitar shows and searching for vintage guitars and collecting guitars, I don ‘ t remember ever holding an original “No Truss Rod” Fender Esquire in my hands (regardless of whether it was a one pickup or two pickup model). I know what the word rare means, I’ve owned an original Gibson Explorer!
In evolutionary terms the name Telecaster is the third or fourth different name given to the two pickup Esquire. First obviously there was the two pickup Esquire, second the two pickup Broadcaster, next (and this is why I say three or four) the two pickup No Caster (the headstock just had the Fender logo, no model name) next came the two pickup Telecaster which remained the name from late 1951 through and up until today I bring this up because people say an Esquire is a single pickup Fender Telecaster and my thinking is the opposite of that. Contrary to popular thinking, a Fender Telecaster is really just a two pickup version of a Fender Esquire, because in the beginning the single pickup and the double pickup were both branded Fender Esquire! Morale to the story: A Fender Esquire is not a single pickup version of the Fender Telecaster, a Fender Telecaster is the double pickup version of the Fender Esquire! And now the Fender Stealth Esquire features three pickups for more versatility and musical inspiration.
“Fender Esquire” = the beginning “Fender Stealth Esquire” = the evolution
If you have made it this far, please comment by using the comment feature below. I would love to hear your feedback. Everyone’s opinion is valuable to me.
Gibson ES-335 Natural Guitar 00107713
In Uncategorized on July 2, 2009 at 3:16 am
• Model Name: ES 335 serial number 00107713
• Series: Electric Spanish ES 335 TDN
• Neck Dimensions: 1st fret .808”, 5th fret .843”, 8th fret .862”, 12th fret .888”.
• Neck Construction: One Piece Honduran Mahogany
• Neck Truss Rod Routing: Shallow
• Neck Joint: Long tenon
• Neck Peghead: Unbound veneer, and Gibson logo MOP inlay, Grovers tuning machines.
• Neck Wood: Honduran Mahogany
• Neck Shape: Thin C shape
• Back of the neck: Nitro Cellulous
• Pickup Bridge: Classic 57 DC resistance 7.6K Ohm (in circuit) grounded nickel-plated covers
• Pickup Neck: Classic 57 DC resistance 7.7K Ohm (in circuit) grounded nickel-plated covers
• Middle switch setting: Connects the bridge pickup and the middle pickup DC resistance 3.8K Ohm (in circuit)
• Wiring Path: Modern wiring scheme, Tone circuit directly to the pickup and in parallel with the pickup.
• Peghead pitch: 17 degrees
• Top Wood: Eastern Maple ply center ply (possibly mahogany but changing to poplar and other woods in 1967/8
• Pickguard: Milled Single Ply plastic. Thickness: .118 inches.
• Scale Length: 24 3/4 inches
• Fretboard: Smooth unfinished Indian Rosewood.
• Fretboard Binding: Single-ply, creme colored approximately .085”
• Fretboard Inlay: Smokey Dot Inlays
• Frets: Medium width very high Frets”
• Fret Width and Height: at .09” wide and approximately .050” high
• Fretboard Radius: Approximately 12 inch
• Nut Width and Material: 1.72 inches, Corian
• Bridge: ABR-1, on threaded post with single thumbwheels
• Bridge Saddles: Slotted individual metal blades with adjustment screws
• Bridge Inlay: Raised “GIBSON ABR 1 underneath
• Stop Tail Piece: Heavy-weight nickel-plated metal stop tailpiece slides into slotted adjustable studs, held by serrated stud inserts pressed into body
• Knobs: Top Hat.
• Tuning Machines: Grover tuning machines.
• Hardware color: Nickel
• Pickup selector: Three position toggle.
• Switch Tip: White
• Switch Washer: none
• Serial Number Application: Stamped back of the peghead and on the tag inside the upper “f” hole
• Control Cavity Cover Plates: none
• Cavities: Machine routed: Tone/volume controls, pickup selector, pickups.
• Screws: Round and Flat-head Phillips (except studs and pick adjustment screws which are flat slotted)
• Finish: Nitro Cellulous.
• Introduced: 1958
• Unique Features: Natural finish with moderately figured maple
• Color: Natural
• Input Jack Plate: none the jack comes through the top wood.
• Case: Current (2007) Black Gibson Custom case with a black interior
• Strap Buttons: aluminum
• Weight: 8.2 pounds
